Thread cutter and holder



Nov. 24, 1942. v. LUCIA THREAD CUTTER AND HOLDER Filed Aug. 6,194.1

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THREAD CUTTER AND HOLDER Louis V. Lucia, West H one-twelfth to Max one-twelfth to H. Eugene artford, 001111., assignor of Biberthaler, Meriden, Grieshaber, Groton,

twelfth to Arthur Story, Norwich, onetwelfth to James D. Daly and one-twelfth to E. Dana Willis, West- Hartford, Conn, and

one-twelfth to Richard F.

Mass.

Carroll, Springfield,

Application August 6, 1941, Serial N0. 405,697 10 Claims. (01. 30126) This invention relates to thread cutting and holding devices and more particularly to such devices as may be attached to thread spools for use in cutting off a length of thread and holding the end of the thread which remains on the spool to prevent it from unwinding.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will cut the thread on the spool and hold it in clamped position with a portion of the end thereof extending free to be conveniently grasped with the fingers when it is desired to unclamp the thread in order that a length of it may be drawn off the spool.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a device which is adapted to receive the thread and operate upon it in the same manner from either side thereof.

Further objects of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of a spool showing a device embodying my invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the said device showing the thread in clamped position thereon and also showing, in dotted lines, the position of the thread during the operation of clamping the same on said'device and cutting off a length thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side view of said device as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a front view showing a modified form of my invention.

As illustrated in the drawing, the numeral 5 denotes a thread spool of common form, 6 the thread thereon and l the end of said thread.

The device embodying my invention comprises a member 8 having a head portion 9 with downwardly extending prongs lill at the sides thereof and an outwardly extending portion II which is bent downwardly, as at l2, to extend over and adjacent to the edge 13 of the spool flange Hi.

The said portion I2 is formed to provide outwardly extending tabs 15-45 which are sheared through the material of said portion and disposed at an angle, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to provide cutting edges l6-l6 at the opposite outer sides of said portion H.

The said tabs I may be twisted, relative to the portion l2, so that the outer and cutting edges thereof will be closer to said portion than the inner edges, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, to insure that the thread will'be cut by the said outer edges. rather than by the inner edges, and thereby provide for leaving a longer portion of thread free, between said cutting edges, to begrasped with the fingers.

A central projection I! may be provided between said tabs for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

In the operation of my invention, the device is attached to a spool by placing the depending portion l2 against the edge l3 of the spool and forcing downwardly on the head 9 to inject the prongs Ill-I0 into the material of the spool and thereby firmly hold the device in operating position.

The thread may then be cut and clamped onto said device by drawing the desired length of thread off the spool, inserting the thread over the tabs l5-l5 and exerting a downward pull on the said length of thread as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. This will cause the thread to be cut off by the cutting edge 16 of the tab l5 at the farthest side of the device.

After the said length of thread has been cut off, the end of the thread on the spool will remain clamped between the tab on the nearest side of the device and the portion l2 and the section of thread between the cutting edges Iii-l6, will be positioned free of said portion as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 so that it may be readily grasped with the fingers when it is desired to unclamp said end of the thread from the tab l6 which is holding the same. It will i be noted that after the thread has been cut off,

the rib or extension ll will position the end of the thread outwardly, to render it more accessible to be readily grasped with the fingers.

It will be noted that by my invention 1 have provided a novel cutting and holding device for thread on spools whereby, by a single operation, a length of thread may be cut off, the end of the remaining thread clamped on said device, and a portion of said end retained in free position on said spool to be readily grasped with the fingers.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 6, the tabs |8-I8 may be formed by shearing them from the side edge portions of the depending portion 12 to thereby simplify the construction of the device if desired.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described adapted to be attached to a thread spool and comprising spaced holding and cutting means for cutting said thread and holding the same at a point spaced from the end thereof.

2. A device of'the character described adapted to be attached to a thread spool and comprising holding and cutting means including spaced cutting members adapted to receive said thread from either side of said device, one of said members being adapted to hold, and the other'member to out, said thread whereby a portion of the end of said thread is disposed free of the holding member to permit grasping thereof with the fingers.

3. A device of the character described adapted to be attached to a thread spool 'and comprising a member having a portion adapted to overhang the edge of the spool, and spaced holding and cutting means on said portion.

4. A thread holder and cutter of the character described comprising a member adapted to be attached to a spool and having a portion adapted to overhang the edge of said spool, spaced thread holding and cutting members on said portion and means between said members for positioning the end of said thread to be readily grasped with the fingers.

5. A thread holder and cutter comprising a head having prongs thereon for securing the same to a spool, a portion extending from said head and adapted to overhang the edge of said spool, a plurality of members on said portion adapted to hold the end of said thread when inserted from either side of said device, and cutting edges on said members for cutting said thread; the said cutting edges being spaced whereby the edge of one of said members will cut the thread and the other member will hold the thread with a, portion thereof between said cutting edges disposed in position to be grasped with the fingers.

6. A thread holder and cutter of the character described comprising a head having means thereon for attaching the same to a spool and a portion adapted to overhang the edge of said spool, means in said portion including spaced cutting edges whereby one of said edges will cut the thread and the other will hold the same, and means between said cutting edges for disposing a portion of the end of said thread to be grasped with the fingers.

7. A device of the character described having means for attaching the same to a spool of thread, spaced cutting edges on said device for holding the thread and cutting the same at a point spaced from where it is held, and means between said cutting edges for positioning the end of said thread outwardly from said device to be readily grasped with the fingers.

8. A thread holding and cutting device of the character described comprising a body portion having spaced tabs each adapted to cut a thread with one edge and clamp it in position with another edge, and means between said tabs including a projection on said device for extending the free portion of the end of the thread outwardly.

9. A thread holding and cutting device including a body portion having spaced tabs; each of said tabs having a, cutting edge at its farthest side relative to the other tab and being twisted towards said cutting edge to prevent cutting of the thread by the edge at the opposite side of the tab.

10. A thread holding and cutting device including a portion having spaced tabs extending therefrom, each of said tabs having the outer side edge thereof nearer to said portion than the inner side edge to permit cutting of the thread by said outer edge and prevent cutting of said thread by the inner edge.

LOUIS V. LUCIA. 

